Insider's Tips and Tricks to Chiang Mai Boutique Hotels

All over Thailand’s tourist hotspots like Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Phuket, “boutique” hotels have been cropping up harder than mice on a cheese. You can hardly turn a corner without running into a bed-and-breakfast or tiny guesthouse touting themselves as boutique, charming, and most of all cheap. Strolling around town or Googling up hotels, you are bound to find one or two that are going to look astonishingly reasonably-priced and amazingly luxurious: complimentary treats and meals, opulent design, extra packages at killer bargains. It’s even situated in a fine spot in Chiang Mai. Stop a moment. Did you do some research? The small price and large comforts don’t come without a price. But what could go wrong, you ask? Plenty! If you don’t know where to begin, I offer this checklist to glance through before you make your booking.

1. How's their location? Many small hotels are owned and run by newcomers to the field, who have relatively little capital to invest. This means they will minimize cost on all fronts, including by building on cheaper land-land that is located well away from the tourist attractions and the city center. You don't want to stay at a hotel that's located in the middle of nowhere!
2. Have they been certified by the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) and do they operate with a hospitality license? This doesn’t seem that important to the average traveler—the paperwork and certificates aren’t your business. It’s worth keeping in mind that legitimate, licensed hotels need to pass inspections and follow rules and regulations: safety laws being foremost. There’re officials going through their fire exits, fire extinguishers, climate control, hygiene, even staff offices. So this wonderful hotel may have a gorgeous swimming pool and they offer Thai massage for free, but did you ask if they’ve got fire exits and alarms in the right places? When you start cutting corners, it’s easy to keep going. Unscrupulous owners don’t forego official licenses without a reason. Some properties dodge these requirements by badging themselves as “serviced apartments” and, though these will adhere to safety laws more vigorously, they aren’t a hotel and if you see “four-star serviced apartment” you should know it’s not much more than optimistic—and false—advertisement. Serviced apartments don’t get to apply for stars and don’t meet qualification guidelines.
3. How many staff do you see around the premise? Small hotels cut cost in another area: salaries. Sure, you won't want people to bustle and invade your personal space, but you will want prompt service in the restaurant, the reception, and most importantly the housekeeping. Small staff rosters mean that less manpower will be dedicated to keeping the place in tip-top shape, including but not limited to plumbing, washing out the swimming pool, and more. Did you know how dirty water in pools can get? Trust me, you don't want to. With all those dead skin cells, body fluids, diseases: let's just say you don't want to look at them through a microscope. Best practice is to drain out the water every day and making sure the water going in has gone through disinfectants, but if a hotel doesn't have enough staff you can almost be certain they'll skimp on this.
4. Security. Again, this relates to the problem of limited personnel: how many do they have in their security? Do they have someone to constantly monitor their CCTVs (if there are even any, and are there enough cameras)? This is one more area for which you don't want to accept compromises.
5. How much maintenance do they perform, and how often? Fire drills? Power systems, elevators and drainage are inspected routinely by the authorities in licensed hotels. The ones operating without a license have no such motivation to keep them up to snuff.

There are plenty of trustworthy and officially licensed boutique hotels in Chiang Mai and elsewhere that fulfill all these requirements. Don't let yourself be lured into ones that don't.

For You: Picking Accommodation in Chiang Mai

Recession has affected the entire globe and nobody's gone unscathed; these days--more than ever--it is important to make sure that you maximize the value of what you spend. While that's not always easy thanks to the instability of mainstay currencies and parts of Asia are no longer as cheap as they once were, Thailand remains a destination whose expenses stay reasonable as long as you avoid premium spots like Phuket and Hua Hin: Chiang Mai is frequently neglected in favor of the more expensive southern Thailand, but it's nevertheless an attractive city. Marrying the charm of pre-modernization cities, Chiang Mai is the capital of the north and hardly industrialize. It offers a veritable range of activities from elephant camps to white-water rafting, from digital malls to cottage-industry villages. Fine hospitality and exquisite accommodation are offered at incredibly affordable rates but it's not easy to locate the hotel that's perfect for you with so many choices. This guide looks to suggest the things you might want to look for in a Chiang Mai hotel.

1. You. Going alone, with family, with your spouse? Business or pleasure?  If you are traveling with kids, it’s a good idea to see whether the hotel offers suites or connected rooms and whether the swimming pool is children-friendly. Moreover, you might want to make sure the hotel has enough space for the kids to run around without leaving the premises (i.e. leaving your and the staff’s sight). Some hotels offer baby-sitting services, as well. Traveling with elderly? See if the hotel maintains emergency contact with local hospitals and whether it has an in-house doctor. Look through the hotel facilities. Make inquiries early and come to an arrangement that suits you best.
2. Essential experience. Many hotels fluff things up with spa packages, twenty types of pastas, or seven kinds of mineral water in the mini bar. All well and good, but you might want to consider whether they are really things you need and whether they will have a genuine impact on your Chiang Mai holiday. Do you even like spas? Are you a connoisseur of mineral water? Less is often more and the frills distract more than they add—the frills, of course, being the factor that hikes up the price. You would be better off reading reviews for the qualities you know will enhance your experience: service, comfortable beds, breakfast spread, quality of food. The most fabulous décor in the world is going to be cold comfort if the desk clerks are rude, the housekeepers slack, and the waiters take twenty minutes to get to your table.
3. Local flavors. Many travelers’ first instincts are to go with the tried-and-true: properties that are part of a huge global chain, for example. However, while that approach may be advisable in some destinations, in Chiang Mai it is far from necessary: by and large hotels in Chiang Mai, from three stars upward, are of more than commendable quality. Besides, there are franchised hotels everywhere in the world; wouldn’t you like to try something local, interesting and authentic? After all, you wouldn’t spend all your time in Thailand eating Pizza Hut and drinking Starbucks, would you?
4. Say no to cheap. Unless you are backpacking (or even if you are!), you don’t want to pick an accommodation whose highlight begins and ends with being the cheapest in the area. Warning signs include “hotels” that tout that they have clean rooms with air-conditioning, features that should be taken for granted anywhere. Sometimes the difference in price is no more than a few hundred bahts or ten bucks, and it’s just not worth it to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Going bare-bones tends to mean everything will be truly basic, including but not limited to the plumbing and climate control system. You are here for a holiday and to treat yourself, not for boot camp.

Thailand Temple Etiquette

Are you up for a temple-crawl around Chiang Mai? Great! So am I—there’re entire streets lined to either side with nothing but temples. If you’re interested in Buddhism and Thai architecture, you’ll be in for a treat. Before we get around to where to find those temples and which notable ones you should consider visiting, though, you might want to keep a few things in mind to make your sightseeing as smooth as possible.

1. Temple dress code. It’s not that Buddhists are prudes who hate your bodies or think everyone should cover up from neck to toe, promise. It’s just that you wouldn’t wear bikini briefs to a church, a graduation ceremony, or a funeral either (unless you want to be politely asked to leave), would you? So put on something, they aren’t strict. T-Shirt and jeans, the standard-issue uniform of tourists everywhere, will be fine. Shorts are okay as long as they are of a reasonable length.
2. Leave something. A few coins in the donation boxes or a small bank note or two. Think of it as an admission fee—those lovely roofs and finials have to be maintained, after all, and they can’t do it on empty air. Every little bit helps! Take out some of that cash you were going to spend on a cup of Starbucks and distribute it across several temples. You can still get nice coffee from a non-franchise café (it’ll taste just as good if not much better) for half the price of Starbucks. Some temples have shops attached to them and, usually, if you buy souvenirs from those parts of the earnings will also go to the temple, if you don’t feel like just giving away small change.
3. No entry. Buddhist monks are celibate and certain parts of temples are barred to women. Yes, it’s not a model of feminism, but vacationing in Thailand is probably not the best time for advancing the women's movement cause.
Basic courtesy. Again, monks take their celibacy seriously; this means no contact with women, though in general regardless of your gender you shouldn’t be trying to shake hands with them in any case so men shouldn’t be grabbing at them either. Personal space, right? Likewise, even if you are an atheist or a Christian, please try to respect the icons and representations of Buddha or Hindu deities. No touching, handling, climbing, or creative redecorations. Yes, there really are people who do that and and Thai people tell horror stories about them. Don’t want to be one of those tourists, right?
4. Cameras. Some temples’ halls house relics and antiques, which can be damaged by camera flashes. They will therefore put up signs requesting that you not take pictures. It’s a simple rule, and easy enough to comply with.
   
5. Off with the shoes! This isn’t just for temples but for Thai houses, several establishments and restaurants: take off the shoes. They don’t really want you to track the dirt, mud, and possibly animal droppings onto their nice clean floors and carpets, and you wouldn’t want to walk in those either. It’s a sensible custom. Try it.

Simple, right? None of this is a hard-and-fast rule—all you need is a little common sense and you’ll have as lovely a holiday in Thailand as you could want! Don't forget to make sure you check in at a hotel close to temples for quick, convenient access.

Songkran in Chiang Mai: Places to Stay and Activities

Hello April! Hottest time of the year in Thailand, but should that stop you? No! Quite the opposite, in fact. It's the perfect time if you want to try something new, fun, and special--Songkran! Don't know what it is? Well, what it is is something superb for your Thailand holiday. Bring yourself, bring the kids. They are gonna love it.

Songkran what? You may know Songkran as the Water Festival. It's also the Thai New year which falls on 13 - 15 April every year, taking place in the hottest month in the year. To combat this, Thai people came up with a truly amazing yet simple way: water. A lot of water being thrown at each other. It's everyone's opportunity to play like kids and get away with it--of course other folks will be doing it to you too, but where's the fun if they don't? That's not all there is to Songkran and there are temple ceremonies you might want to join in, but the absolute highlight is surely the water-throwing. Rent a pickup and hop onto the back, grab a hose and water pistols, show up around the canals and go!

Okay, but where?  All of Thailand celebrate Songkran; the usual suspects like Bangkok, Pattaya and Hua Hin are some of them, but nowhere does it with the same enthusiasm as northerners. The hotspot, then, is Chiang Mai. For a start, Songkran in Chiang Mai kicks off fast. Should a weekend precede 13 - 15 April, you can expect it to begin as early as three or four days before the thirteenth and this is the case for Songkran 2011. The entire week, which is to say 8 - 15 April, is water-throwing all the time. 

Where do I stay during Songkran? When looking for Chiang Mai accommodation during Songkran, you might want to consider staying away from the concentrated activities. Around the Old City and the Night Bazaar, for example, is going to be packed throughout the day and if you don't want to get drenched while leaving or returning to your hotel, you don't want to stay around there. The ideal place to be, then, is the Chang Klan road some distance from the Night Bazaar: this four-star hotel, for instance, is as close to perfect as you can get. You can still reach the Night Bazaar and the Old City on foot (in 5 and 10 minutes respectively), there are pharmacies, a bank, and restaurants nearby, but you won't risk getting soaked 24/7. It's the best of every possible world. Book in advance, though, to ensure you get the best-value rates.

So what do I do? The entirety of Chiang Mai is fair game for Songkran fun and mischief, but the most concentrated spot is around the Old City, where the canals (no worries about dirty waters; they're cleaned just for the occasion) provide a convenient source of water. Everyone will be there and vendors will show up on the sidewalks to hawk protective plastic covers, colorful buckets, hoses and water pistols.  

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Traveling to Thailand: Gadgets and You

The tech-savvy traveler goes nowhere without a smartphone and a laptop. Throw in an mp3 player plus an e-reader, and you’ll be toting quite a bit of technology. No judging; these days it’s no fun to do without. But taking your gadgets across distances worth eight hours of flying or more isn’t like taking the same across the states border. You don’t want to end up with dead batteries at your destination and no way to recharge, and you certainly don’t want your smartphone to go dumb when you need Google Maps to find that restaurant or book that hotel. So here are a few things to keep in mind.

First, a checklist! Bringing your charger and power cables is a given, but if you are coming to Southeast Asia chances are good the pins won’t quite fit into power sockets in Thailand. Invest in a power adapter or three, or bring an extension. Hotels in Thailand worth their salt will let you borrow one for free, but it’s best to take your own just in case. For good measure, consider extra batteries too: again, there’s no telling whether you will be stranded in an airport due to delayed flights or other mishaps and despite your best efforts, your smartphone, iPad or iPod Touch might still run out of juice mid-flight (though in the case of iPod/iPad you will be a little hard-pressed to swap batteries unless you feel like taking a screwdriver to it, so look into power mats instead or start considering alternative devices). 

Once you’re aboard the plane, there are some more things to keep in mind. While the stewards may bother you about shutting down your devices, some airlines aren’t too strict with this (and provide in-flight WiFi to boot). However, if you leave your phone’s radio on—the bit that checks for cellphone towers—the battery will drain to nothing within an hour or two of the plane’s takeoff; nothing sucks down power like a phone looking for a cell tower while being out of range of any. How do you fix this without turning your phone off? Simple: turn on airplane mode. It will shut down all phone signal and Bluetooth radio, but you will still be able to connect to WiFi (if any is available) and you can still use your smartphone for everything else, whether to e-read or play Bejeweled to pass the time.

Prior to touching down at Suvarnabhumi or Chiang Mai International Airport, make sure to research your phone’s specs. Nothing complicated! Just try a search with the keyphrases “[your phone’s model] 900 3g” or “[your phone’s model] 850 3g,” as those are the two bands most conveniently available in Thailand. At the time of writing, 3G in Thailand is can be had through the carriers AIS and TrueMove, which have licenses for the 900MHz and 850 MHz bands respectively. Assuming your phone is unlocked and GSM, meaning it has a SIM slot, when you arrive you can pop in an AIS or TrueMove SIM and you’ll be on your merry way. Don’t forget to make sure it’s a 3G SIM and don’t bother with DTac; they are currently offering data at speeds no higher than Edge and what they do offer is not cheaper than their counterpart packages from AIS and TrueMove.

These should get you started on preparing your gadgets for traveling to Thailand. Never make do without your beloved devices again!

Thailand Holidays Off-Peak: 5 Tips Why You should

So you’ve decided that the Land of Smiles is the destination for this year’s vacation. Tropical, easy on the budget, great food, what’s not to like? And to make the best of your time, you go when things are happening—Flower Festival in Chiang Mai, Songkran in northern Thailand, New Year, the Lantern Festival. Right? Wrong. Here’s why.

1. Airfare deals, bargain flights. Budget travel is the key. Take a look at Thai Airways or do a general search for flights to Thailand, and you’ll find great packages and cheap flights. Some won’t let you cancel and/or change your dates, but if you’ve already got everything organized, that shouldn’t be any trouble.
2. More flexible. Need to extend your stay a day or two? Can’t. The day before you arrive, or the day after your intended check-out, is already packed. The receptionist will apologize and tell you they’d have loved to let you stay on, but they simply don’t have the space. Time to lug your suitcases around town in a rented car or worse, a tuk-tuk, and nobody to blame but yourself. Traveling in off-peak months and want to extend your stay? They’ll probably give you a room upgrade or a discount for the privilege.
3. Last-minute decisions. We’ve all been there! Your schedule got tight, your client wanted this job done right now, things piled up and you lost track of time. Before you know it, it’s just a day before you board the plane and head for the tropical warmth of Thailand. Oops. You forgot to book a hotel. Now all there is left is a bunch of run-down bed and breakfast and guesthouses. Cheap, sure, but do you really want to spend your holiday in those? You deserve better. Travel off-peak and you’ll find yourself in luxury three-to-four-stars hotels at almost the same price you’d have paid for dilapidated guesthouses during Flower Festival.
4. More expensive. Accommodation during peak times is at a premium. Hotel rooms in tourist hubs like Chiang Mai, Phuket and Koh Samui will be full up. Ask for the best suite, tell them you’re a millionaire, but if they haven’t got it, they haven’t got it. If you do squeeze in, be assured that on New Year’s Eve you aren’t going to get that last remaining room for nuts. You can threaten to take your business elsewhere or tell them that so-and-so hotel is giving you a much friendlier rate, and the receptionist will shrug and wish you luck. They can sell the room to someone else, after all. It’s supplier’s market.
5. Crowds, crowds, crowds. Those charming street markets sure looked great on the postcards until you’re there and realize you are another tuna in a tin can. Want to know a secret? They’ve got street markets all the time! Same goes with many year-round events and festivals. Look up your destination and do a little research. You’re bound to find any number of fairs. Plus, the tiger farm or the elephant camp you’ve always wanted to see? Yup, that’s also active round the year, and what’s more you won’t be rubbing shoulders with so many tourists. No reason to put up with long baggage collection waits, either.

The best months to do all these are May to September. Weather in Thailand during this time of the year is on the warm side with a bit of rain, but if you’d wanted wintry, you’d have stayed home, right? Besides, you can always duck into a café for some iced drinks and air-conditioning. And with all the travel budget you’ll be saving—along with everything else I’ve listed right here—the climate isn’t going to bother you for long.